Wavewacker
Senior Member
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2010
- Posts
- 709
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- Springfield, Mo.
Good stuff here......well, seems we had the same idea of hauling a motorcycle on a boat for the Great Loop, that was years ago and the idea was not as well received as your idea at this time....lol
A bit more about the Great Loop;
You need a boat that IS sea worthy, saying the ICW is protected is not really true, from New Orleans heading to south Florida you can be 100 miles out in the gulf or more. A well designed scow is fine, even a Bolger box boat. More importantly will be your skills, it's not like running a bass boat or pontoon across a lake.
I love the landing craft idea, that is still on my back burner, however;
I was probably about your age when I had the same thoughts, now I am retired. Then I had a Honda 650 XR. then a Transalp, today I really can't ride those or not for very long and I just bought a Honda VTX 1800 Trike for touring, a 1000 pound machine where I don't need to put my feet down !
On the Big Muddy, check out the shore and decide if you really want to try and ride any dirt bike in that mud, it is generally slick and deep. I'm not real familiar with the whole river, but the banks are steep too. Next is the issue of fenced private property, so you're restricted to public docks and ramps. To use a dock you'll need a gin boom or crane, lift the bike on and off, (at 65 you may not be able to pick it up) at launching ramps you can drop the ramp and go. But you can't leave your boat there.
I'm not raining on your parade, I still have the same ideas, but realistically the GL isn't motorcycle friendly. If you take a bike, I'd rap it up tight to prevent salt water spray out, otherwise you'll have a quick rust bucket with alloy wheels and parts.
Anyway, there are other issues, like how to secure a bike on or in a boat to take 3 or 4 footers, but for me a light went off and I realized many places rent bikes,even better rental car folks will deliver a car
Secretly I still want to do the build a boat and do the GL, but the cheapest way is to buy an old glass sail boat and build a "Strawler" just sail when you can otherwise use a small OB (and one for salt water).
Another matter, these boats are considered a "Shanty" no matter how much lipstick you put on it, so expect run ins with local authorities and the CG because States and Municipalities are already waging war on Shanty liveaboards. They want you at a dock, not blocking the water view of some million dollar vacation home, ahhhh but check out the ports as many don't allow wood boats! This issue will likely get worse in time as laws and regulations erode our "rights" in the "land of the free".
I still want to build basically the same boat you're wanting, but 24/26 foot is big enough for me, wifey and my dog. Originally I was at 34 feet, it's the difference between 50+ hp and less than 10 hp to cruise at about 7. Consider Escargot with a 6 foot beam and 24 LOA, but for the ICW you'll need to modify that bow a bit or wait for perfect weather. I can wait, I'm retired
Proper prior planning prevents boat dreams, lol, early on this thread you were asked to define your life style, saying minimalist isn't getting down to how one functions. I can tell you, in 15 years you will not feel like you do today, so consider the tasks of sailing and cruising carefully.......
Best thing to do is buy an old bucket, modify it and take vacations, do it now and you can do the GL in sections for the next ten years. You can also build a good boat to stay on after you know the gunkholes and favorite cruising grounds.
All the best!
A bit more about the Great Loop;
You need a boat that IS sea worthy, saying the ICW is protected is not really true, from New Orleans heading to south Florida you can be 100 miles out in the gulf or more. A well designed scow is fine, even a Bolger box boat. More importantly will be your skills, it's not like running a bass boat or pontoon across a lake.
I love the landing craft idea, that is still on my back burner, however;
I was probably about your age when I had the same thoughts, now I am retired. Then I had a Honda 650 XR. then a Transalp, today I really can't ride those or not for very long and I just bought a Honda VTX 1800 Trike for touring, a 1000 pound machine where I don't need to put my feet down !
On the Big Muddy, check out the shore and decide if you really want to try and ride any dirt bike in that mud, it is generally slick and deep. I'm not real familiar with the whole river, but the banks are steep too. Next is the issue of fenced private property, so you're restricted to public docks and ramps. To use a dock you'll need a gin boom or crane, lift the bike on and off, (at 65 you may not be able to pick it up) at launching ramps you can drop the ramp and go. But you can't leave your boat there.
I'm not raining on your parade, I still have the same ideas, but realistically the GL isn't motorcycle friendly. If you take a bike, I'd rap it up tight to prevent salt water spray out, otherwise you'll have a quick rust bucket with alloy wheels and parts.
Anyway, there are other issues, like how to secure a bike on or in a boat to take 3 or 4 footers, but for me a light went off and I realized many places rent bikes,even better rental car folks will deliver a car
Secretly I still want to do the build a boat and do the GL, but the cheapest way is to buy an old glass sail boat and build a "Strawler" just sail when you can otherwise use a small OB (and one for salt water).
Another matter, these boats are considered a "Shanty" no matter how much lipstick you put on it, so expect run ins with local authorities and the CG because States and Municipalities are already waging war on Shanty liveaboards. They want you at a dock, not blocking the water view of some million dollar vacation home, ahhhh but check out the ports as many don't allow wood boats! This issue will likely get worse in time as laws and regulations erode our "rights" in the "land of the free".
I still want to build basically the same boat you're wanting, but 24/26 foot is big enough for me, wifey and my dog. Originally I was at 34 feet, it's the difference between 50+ hp and less than 10 hp to cruise at about 7. Consider Escargot with a 6 foot beam and 24 LOA, but for the ICW you'll need to modify that bow a bit or wait for perfect weather. I can wait, I'm retired
Proper prior planning prevents boat dreams, lol, early on this thread you were asked to define your life style, saying minimalist isn't getting down to how one functions. I can tell you, in 15 years you will not feel like you do today, so consider the tasks of sailing and cruising carefully.......
Best thing to do is buy an old bucket, modify it and take vacations, do it now and you can do the GL in sections for the next ten years. You can also build a good boat to stay on after you know the gunkholes and favorite cruising grounds.
All the best!
